Telephone voice message systems such as PHONEMAIL ((trademark)) and telephone answering machines have become an omnipresent feature of modern life. Many people receive and send several messages by voice message systems every day.
Most voice message systems have a limited recording time for a caller to leave a message. When the recording time is exceeded, many systems cut off the caller without a warning; this can break the caller""s concentration. The caller then must place the call again. Since it may not be clear exactly when he was cut off, he may have to backtrack or summarize his previous message.
Some systems warn the caller that the message recording time is about to end. While this is an improvement over the sudden cut-off, such a system nonetheless interrupts the caller and can interfere with his concentration. He may then rush the remainder of his message, which can lead to misstatements. In any event, the xe2x80x9cwarning timexe2x80x9d is often not long enough, in which case the caller must place the call again, with the disadvantages just described in the last example. In either case, the fragmentation and repetitiveness of the message process is often irritating to both the caller and the call recipient.
Some systems allow longer messages to be recorded. However, memory is expensive, and allowing callers to leave long messages can be costly. Furthermore, long messages left by unwanted callers such as telephone solicitors must then be dealt with. Since total recording time is limited, such calls may end up restricting the recording time or number of wanted or important calls.
In any event, message recording systems have a finite capacity. What is needed is a system that limits the available message time for unwanted calls without forcing important messages to become shortened, disjointed, or repetitive.
A code can be entered into the keypad that allows a caller to extend the time allotted for messages. In one variation, a hierarchy of codes can provide for different time limits for different incoming callers in accordance with previously assigned allotments. The codes can be input by the caller or can be assigned by the system after the system recognizes the caller. In another variation, the call recipient can set the message time allotment per call.